A Wolf's Cry (NDRV3 Fantasy AU)
by ZekeFreek
Summary: A NDRV3 Saimeno-focused Fantasy AU. Full summary inside, too long to write here cohesively.
1. Peaceful Days

You receive a strange flyer, which reads;

 _"The Monokuma Theatre Group is proud to present a grand stage play by the 79th Class of Hope's Peak Academy! Our story occurs in the fantastical kingdom of Saishuu, ruled by the industrious and beautiful Queen Kirumi. She ruled over her peaceful kingdom with her many court vassals, including the young Court Mage, Himiko, the heroine of our tale._

 _Himiko lived a peaceful life as a mage in training with her childhood friend and loyal wolf familiar, Shuichi, who had aspirations of becoming the Court Detective one day. Things were at a time peaceful, but the tragic and unexpected death of the Court Minstrel set forth a series of mysterious events into motion._

 _Rumors of a Thieves' Guild that lurks in the night, of an asssassin that plots to dethrone the beloved Queen. Of a necromancer toying with creating an artificial human..._

 _But it is the disappearance of Shuichi that drives the court into action. Himiko is tasked with gathering a party to locate her familiar and discover the plot for the Queen's life... a plot that may be coming from within their own ranks. A thrilling epic of adventure, intrigue romance and wit! We *hope* to see you there, puhuhu..."_

* * *

 **WARNING: I HIGHLY recommend not reading this if you aren't fully spoiled on the actual plot of NDRV3. There will be many plot parallels and many character traits treated as spoilers in canon are common knowledge here. This is your warning.**

* * *

" **A Wolf's Cry"**

The audience murmurs in front of the darkened stage…

A light shines down on the stage from above…

Revealing the infamous and beloved mascot of Hope's Peak Academy…

"Good day, students! Friends, enemies, and pesky tax collectors alike! The Monokuma Theatre Group is proud to present a stage production by the 79th Class of our own Hope's Peak Academy!", the charming monochrome bear shouted out to a round of respectful applause.

"But before we begin… a word of warning. Or rather, a question. You've all come out today to see a story unfold… a narrative progress, if you will. And you might get so invested in this story, you might start to believe it's real", he continued on.

"And you, who are sitting in a seat in front of a large stage… may be deceived into thinking the events unfolding are of a fictional nature. Events of no consequence, perhaps? But is that really the truth?", Monokuma went on.

"Perhaps the fiction you are about to witness has more meaning than you think… that's all I wanted to say", he concluded. The audience murmured some more… clearly pondering the bear's mysterious words.

"But enough of that! On with the show! We certainly _hope_ you enjoy the story our talented young students put together with their blood, sweat and tears!", Monokuma finished as the light illuminating him suddenly shut off… and the sound of the curtain being raised filled the theatre.

 **Chapter One**

 **Peaceful Days**

It was as average a day in the Kingdom of Saishuu as any. The civilians toiled away with work and play, events occurred both good and bad, and large white clouds slowly strolled across a beautiful blue sky.

This peace could only have been brought about by the young and industrious Queen, who only recently took the throne after her father's untimely demise. A death that shook the entire country to its core… were it not for the unparalleled efforts of the young heir to be.

Yes, Queen Kirumi worked tirelessly for the sake of her people. To prove herself just as capable a leader as her father before her. But such a task couldn't be accomplished by her alone.

She had the support of her regal court. A collection of talented upstarts who acted as the Queen's council and advisory. They acted alongside the more experienced civil servants of the previous era to solve all manner of social issues that arose in the kingdom.

And it would so happen that one of these court vassals is the heroine of our tale…

A girl of short-stature peacefully rested beneath the thick shade of a tall and proud tree. The tree resided in the massive garden estate of the royal palace, maintained by a competent Court Gardener.

The girl's back fit snugly against the tree, covered by her black cloak. A staple of any Court Mage just as much as her prized witch's hat. She snoozed soundly, without a care in the world… until…

Poke, poke.

Someone poked her cheek lightly.

She fidgeted slightly, trying to hide the fact she was awake.

The poking intensified.

"I know you're awake", a stoic voice declared. It wasn't annoyed or anything, just stating a fact.

The girl moaned. Of course, she couldn't hide from him.

She opened her eyes to see her familiar and friend staring back at her.

"I was having the nicest dream you know…", she said, a tad bit agitated.

"Oh? What about?", the boy asked, his long wolf tail twitching slightly.

"Well now I can't remember, since you woke me so suddenly", she said, trying to make him feel guilty. But he only smiled confidently.

"Then how do you know it was a nice dream?", he asked poignantly.

She froze for a second. He got her.

Changing the subject, she shook her head, "A-Anyway, you should join me here Shuichi. The breeze is so relaxing today", she said, patting the space beside her.

But Shuichi simply took her hand and hoisted her up on her feet.

"Hey, you've had enough relaxing for now. You're late for your training", he said sternly. Training in this case referred to magical training and study, for she was after all, the Court Mage… in training.

The girl scoffed, "When did my familiar get so pushy?", she wondered aloud.

Shuichi sighed, "The same moment my master became so lazy", he answered.

The girl placed her hands on her hips and boasted proudly, "I-I'm not l-lazy! I'm just s-such a great mage that I don't need such training! Haa…". Well, she tried to maintain that air of competency, but fell short at the end.

"That's for the magistrate to decide. Now come on. If you go, I'll bake us something special later", the boy promised candidly.

The girl put her finger to her lips as her mouth began to water.

"K-Ka… Karinto… I want karinto…", she stammered out.

Shuichi nodded, "Yes yes, we will have karinto", he agreed.

But before they could take a step away from the tree, a voice rang out from above.

"Aha! Sweets for the lovely and sweet Himiko! Now isn't that a surprise?", a coy tone played out. The pair looked above to find a garish figure, sitting casually on a tree branch high above.

"W-Were you watching me s-sleep!?", Himiko stammered, embarrassed.

The male figure above let out a disgusted groan, "Huuuh? Why would I stare at your ugly face?", he complained as he hopped down to the ground.

"Teehee… but that was just a joke, see?", he said with a mischievous grin.

A cruel joke befitting the Court Jester.

"Grr… Kokichi, I am not in the mood for your jokes today!", Himiko said in an annoyed tone. But this only made Kokichi more eager.

"Ah… and you were so peaceful a moment ago. But I was waiting for this scene right here. The familiar is so much more responsible than his master, and I find that highly amusing", he said.

Sensing their apprehension, he quickly added, "Ah, but Shuichi does love to dote on you, doesn't he? Maybe that's why you two make such a good pair… hm…". Himiko blushed slightly, looking aside.

"Tch… you only ever come around to play awful pranks or tease us. Don't you have anything better to do?", she said.

Kokichi only chuckled, "But pranks and teases are part and parcel for a jester like myself, no? And besides, it's not just me. Everyone knows you two are inseparable", he chided.

"W-Well… yeah! That's only natural for a mage and her familiar", she snapped back.

"Oh? But most mages have lots of different familiars, don't they? But Himiko, you've only ever had Shuichi… could it be you're not that good of a mage? Or is there another reason? Hm?", Kokichi prodded further, taking a step towards the rustled girl.

Shuichi stepped between them. "Alright, well. It's been as fun as always, but we really should be going", he said with a sense of finality. Kokichi backed down.

"Heh, you're fun in your own way, Shuichi. But it seems today you're all business. You really should loosen up, you know. Or else she'll never be satisfied…", he continued cryptically as he skipped merrily away.

"A-And what's that supposed to mean!?", Himiko shouted after him to no avail.

Shuichi put a hand on her shoulder, "Leave him be. Come on, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can have karinto", he said reassuringly.

The two walked off down a series of corridors, on their way to the magical training halls. As they traversed side by side, conversation naturally arose.

"I hate to agree with Kokichi… but you are acting really uptight today", Himiko said, admiring a group of knights as they passed by.

Shuichi sighed. "You forgot, didn't you?", he said with tinge of tiredness.

Himiko's eyes darted around nervously, "Uh oh… what did I forget?", she asked, admitting to the possibility. Her familiar was very perceptive, so it was generally best to be honest.

"Your aptitude assessment is in two days. The magistrate is testing you on your progress as a mage. We don't want to disappoint them… again", he explained, adding the last word for effect.

Himiko slowed her pace and sulked. "Aah… you're right. Their unsatisfied eyes were scary last time…", she said, a chill running down her spine, reminding her of the time.

"That's why we're going to double our efforts today. We can't afford to keep disappointing them", Shuichi declared.

"Heh… you're right, sorry…", she said, looking at the ground.

Shuichi shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. Your troubles are my troubles, that's what our contract says. Besides, I still owe you a debt", he assured her.

A debt… Himiko didn't like to admit it, but that debt was likely the reason they couldn't stand as true equals. But she hoped to change that.

"Shuichi…", she murmured under her breath.

"Hm? What's wrong?", he asked.

She shook her head… there was something she really wanted to ask… but for the time being decided against it.

"N-Nothing! I just wanted to say I'm going to do my best!", she proclaimed half-heartedly.

His perceptive eyes didn't lie when he commented, "Is that so? That's good". Something was bothering her, that much he could tell. He would've been a lousy familiar if he couldn't after all these years.

Yes, that incident years ago that bound them as master and retainer… that was the 'debt' of which he spoke. The debt that weighed down the young mage's heart.

* * *

Kokichi sighed as he laid against the outer wall of the castle garden, arms poised behind his head casually. "Those two are so dishonest, in the worst ways", he mumbled as he crossed his legs.

In front of his view was a large muscular figure, carefully examining a stag beetle as it crawled along a stick. "Gonta doesn't understand… Kokichi is dishonest all the time, isn't he?", the figure spoke as he clipped at the hedges.

"How many times do I have to explain this to you? No good joke doesn't involve misdirection", Kokichi said in a dull tone, as if he'd said it a thousand times before.

"Gonta… still doesn't understand", the big man admitted with a sigh.

"And that's why I like you, Gonta. If my jokes fly over your head, then it means you're the only one I can be truly honest with, right?", he replied jovially, his grinning face hiding a veneer of manipulation.

"Ah! So Kokichi is honest, then?", Gonta asked sincerely.

"Yep. You got it, buddy", he said, almost dismissively.

The wind blew slightly, ringing the bells on Kokichi's jester cap.

"Still, things have been a little boring around here lately…", he murmured to himself.

* * *

The usual court dinner went as it always did. The main table occupied by important guests and officials, headed by the Queen and her closest advisor, the Court Tailor, Tsumugi.

The side tables were where the Court Vassals ate, most nights. Which was fine by them. Most of them weren't suited to the kind of politics that went on at the main table, not yet anyway.

Himiko dropped her fork as her hands trembled. "D-D-Dammit….", she cursed under her chattering teeth. Her latest attempt at a freezing spell had backfired on her, leaving her in a state of impractical coldness.

"It still hasn't worn off?", her familiar asked, putting down his own fork.

Himiko pulled her hat over her face and wrapped her arms around herself. "N-No… not yet…", she admitted. It had been an otherwise fruitful day of magical practice. But she was not very adept at ice magic.

Shuichi sighed and took her hands.

"W-Wha?", she gasped.

He put her hands together and rubbed them with his own.

"Does this help?", he asked.

"Uh… yeah, thank you", she said, biting her lip. Not just her hands, but her entire being was feeling warmer.

"What's this? Doting on the lazy little mage so loyally, Shuichi?", came a mocking voice from above. The pair glanced to see Kokichi approaching, riding on Gonta's shoulder like a little kid.

"A-Atleast I can w-walk for myself!", Himiko shot back, her teeth chattering somewhat.

"Wha? You don't mind, do you, Gonta?", he asked with a concerned expression.

"Of course not! Kokichi is Gonta's friend! So he doesn't mind at all!", the tall figure exclaimed jovially. Just then, Kokichi dropped down and swiped a biscuit off Himiko's plate and shoved in his mouth joyously.

"H-Hey!", Himiko protested, but didn't move her hands from Shuichi's grasp.

"You're so vulnerable, you know. Is this why you need so much doting?", Kokichi said with his mouth full.

"Kokichi… That wasn't very nice", Gonta said, looking disappointed.

"No no, Gonta! It was a joke, you see?", the boy argued.

"Ah. A joke! I see. Then it's fine!", Gonta said without a care.

"A joke is usually funny", Shuichi commented with a stern expression.

"I'm having fun. Isn't that right, Gonta?", Kokichi retorted.

"Yes! Kokichi is having fun! Therefore it was funny!", Gonta said in complete obliviousness.

Shuichi sighed. Gonta would always see the best in someone, even if they were dragging him alone on a string. It was then that subtle music began to fill the hall. The group turned their heads to the source, except for Kokichi who was uninterestedly flicking peas at the other people in the hall.

The Court Minstrel had begun playing the piano in the distance. Swift and soft notes flowed from one end of the hall to the other in a rhythmic pleasure. Her blond hair swayed slightly in the breeze of an open window. Himiko couldn't help but grit her teeth.

It's not that she disliked Kaede, the minstrel, per se. She was as upbeat and kind a person as one could ask for. It was just that…

She turned to look at her familiar, who was already intently staring in the minstrel's direction. It was usually like this whenever that girl was around and it made a rush of jealousy burn through the young mage. But this time was different.

"Shuichi… my hands are still cold", she lied. Her hands were back to normal already but she just wanted more of his attention.

"Huh? Still?", he said in surprise, taking her hands once more.

"They don't feel cold…", he said.

"T-They do to me though… but this helps", she said, tightening her hold on his hands. This time was a bit more embarrassing however, considering her hands were actually fine. Feeling the warmth of his hands while hers were normal was…

Her whole body went stiff as she just stared forward blankly. She had asked for this, but perhaps it was a bit too much?

Shuichi leaned in closer, "Are you sure you're feeling okay? You're not getting a fever are you?", he asked. It was a reasonable assumption to make.

"N-No! I'm fine… j-just the effects of the ice m-magic", she stammered out, her face flushed.

"Hm. This seems more serious than I thought? Maybe you should go lie down?", he suggested in concern.

For a variety of reasons, Himiko wanted nothing more than to leave this hall.

"U-Uh… yeah! I- W-We should. Let's go, Shuichi", she said, jolting up to her feet like a spring snapped back. Confused and still holding her hand, Shuichi was dragged along by his young master out of the hall.

The gentle giant and the impish jester were left alone at the table.

"Gonta sure hopes she's okay", Gonta said in a low voice.

"Oh, she's fine. Though not as clever as she thinks", Kokichi said, balancing a spoon on his face.

"What do you mean?", Gonta asked.

The boy smirked.

"If she doesn't reign in that jealousy, someone might really take him away…", the boy said ominously.

* * *

The pair returned to the humble lodgings afforded to them by the kingdom. A cozy two-bedroom suite in the lower levels of the palace, with a small living area is the middle between them.

As soon as they entered, Himiko tripped over a scroll left haphazardly on the ground. Shuichi dove forward to catch her, wrapping his arms around her stomach. "Aah!", she let out a little jolted yell.

"Woah, are you okay?", Shuichi said with concern, his voice more shrill than usual. Himiko quickly leapt forward, too embarrassed to be that close. "Y-Yeah! Everything's fine!", she said. She briefly wondered why everything was conspiring both with and against her simultaneously today.

Shuichi stood up straight and let out a small cough, not completely un-embarrassed himself, it would seem. "Well… maybe some hot tea would help?", he suggested, changing the subject.

Himiko stammered out, "S-Sure…". Truthfully, she wasn't really in the mood for it, but anything to keep up the charade, right? As he was off making tea, the young mage fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat.

She had put herself in a precarious situation. Well, she wanted his attention and she most definitely had it. She was a little too distraught to tell if she regretted these actions.

But still… there had been a question burning in her mind lately.

Most familiars were conjured from natural materials, or summoned from another plane and then tamed. Shuichi wasn't like those familiars however… he had once been as human as she was.

The orphanage where they grew up… the mysterious fire that had one day engulfed it… and the girl who used magic far beyond her level to save the life of the quiet boy who always kept to himself and read books.

The desperate ritual had transformed the dying boy into the wolf familiar she knew now. It wasn't long after that her feat caught the attention of the Palace Magistrate, who brought them both under their tutelage.

They had stuck together ever since that day. And the quiet boy became her loyal familiar, aiding her in her magical studies. But lately she had began to wonder…

He walked over and handed her a warm cup of tea.

She hesitantly reached out and took it. She didn't sip right away, she knew it'd be too hot. Shuichi sat opposite her, taking a sip from his own cup. He glanced over in the direction of a book on the table but once he saw the expression on his master's face, he forgot about it completely.

"You shouldn't make a face like that. You did well today, all things considered", he said, trying to cheer her up. It might've worked too, if that was what was actually bothering her.

Himiko swallowed her anxiety… and a large quantity of hot tea, which she immediately regretted and stared at her familiar in the eyes. "Shuichi… you wouldn't lie to me, right?", she said out of the blue.

The boy's ears twitched as he leaned back in surprise. "Aah! I should think not… I don't make a habit of lying in general…", he said, a little unnerved.

Himiko stared down into her now half-empty… or perhaps half-full, cup of tea. "I w-was just wondering…", she began nervously.

"Would you still be here if you weren't my familiar?", she asked directly.

Shuichi held a clenched fist to his chin, a clear sign that he was deep in thought.

"Well… I wouldn't be anywhere at all if I wasn't your familiar so…", he began, his voice wavering from surprise.

"Nya! You know what I mean! Or… I hope you do…", Himiko responded, a little peeved.

"A-Are you perhaps… asking if I like you?", Shuichi murmured, probably not intending to say that out loud.

"U-Uh! I m-mean, t-that's not it exactly…", she stammered out, "W-What I m-mean is… that is t-to say… moreover… I g-guess I'm asking if you're… ya know… happy?", she concluded in a rush of embarrassment.

Shuichi dropped his hand and chuckled a bit.

"Oh, is that all?", he began, "I live a peaceful life in a royal palace as the familiar of a promising mage. I have good friends here, am well-fed and have access to one of the largest libraries in the world… and I owe this life to you, Master… So yeah, I'd say I'm pretty happy", he finished with a small smile.

For the first time all night, Himiko's shoulders relaxed. Shuichi picked up the book from the table and began flipping through it. "Hm, you sure worry about strange things, Himiko", he said aloud.

The two exchanged idle conversation until the young mage was tired enough to be carried to her room. After which, Shuichi left their domicile for the hallways of the palace, to return the book he had finished to the court library.

It wasn't until he was halfway there that he felt a dark presence. He turned around quickly, but saw nobody in the darkness. It had only been for a moment, but he swore he sensed someone. Being a wolf familiar heightened his awareness of dangerous things. He kept his guard up as he traversed the palace halls.

What he didn't see was the cloaked figure stalking the rooftops amidst the moonlight… watching… waiting.

 **Chapter One**

 **END**


	2. The Vanishing Glass

**(A/N: Remember to fav, follow, comment if you appreciate the fic. It's a lot of fun to write but a little motivation goes a long way.)**

 **Chapter Two**

 **The Vanishing Glass**

Kaede sprinted through the halls of the royal palace at a steady but cautious pace, stacks of sheet music filling the space between her arms, clenched against her chest. There wasn't much time to waste. An important Duke from a neighboring kingdom had announced a surprise visit that night.

She had to decide what pieces to entertain the Duke's entourage and practice them diligently. As the Court Minstrel, this kind of thing was her duty. And she couldn't disappoi-

Her train of thought was interrupted as she abruptly crashed into a large hard surface and fell back onto the floor, papers spilling every which way. As she rubbed her head, a large hand extended in her direction, "Oh no! Gonta is so sorry! He should've watched where he was going!", the mammoth figure declared.

Kaede shook her head rapidly as she started frantically picking up sheet music off the floor. "Nonono! It's entirely my fault! I was in a hurry and didn't pay attention… heh, that's the only way I could miss you, Gonta", she apologized in a heightened tone.

"Here, Gonta will assist you", he said as he bent down and started gathering papers himself. As soon as he did, Kaede saw the figure sitting casually on top of a window ledge behind Gonta. The Court Jester, Kokichi was sitting there, pretending to care how well-trimmed his nails were.

Kaede puffed out her cheeks and called out, "You know, I'd appreciate your help too, Kokichi". She knew it was a futile effort, but felt the need to assert herself. Kokichi, predictably, gave her an aside glance while crossing his arms.

"I don't recall bumping into you… don't really see how that's my problem. Besides, I'm bust helping Gonta right now", he said dismissively.

"Helping Gonta with what, exactly?", Kaede asked, noting his casual demeanor and lack of any… activity to speak of. Gonta spoke up after stacking some papers together in a neat pile.

"Oh! Kokichi is helping Gonta search for Edo!", he declared, handing the stack to Kaede, who raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Edo? Who is Edo?", she inquired, her tone as inquisitive as her eyebrow.

Gonta held out his hands together in a vague shape, "Edo is a Stag Beetle that Gonta has been studying. Normally Gonta keeps him in a glass box by his window, but now Edo has gone missing", he explained.

"Ah, that's right. You like bugs don't you?", Kaede said rhetorically, still pushing papers together.

"Yes! Gonta tends to the gardens, so he gets to see lots of bugs. They're really very interesting!" Gonta proclaimed.

Kokichi hopped off the window-sill and causally floundered over to them. "All that being said, we shouldn't bother the lady with this. She seems busy enough as it is… hm?", he said.

Kokichi turned his head down to notice he had stepped on a piece of sheet music. He bent down to pick it up, gazing at it with mild intrigue.

"Well, this is an interesting piece", he said almost sarcastically.

Kaede peered over his shoulder. "Huh. Clair de Lune? It is beautiful… but it's far too somber for a lively party", she commented, snatching it away from him.

She returned her attention to Gonta with a confident gaze. "But you know, if something's gone missing, there's only one person you should rely on for that", she declared enthusiastically.

* * *

It was high noon by the time shimmers of light flowed through the thick curtains of the Court Mage's abode. Said mage in question still wrapped snugly in a blanket on her wall-mounted bunk.

When the wolf familiar entered his master's room, he saw exactly what he expected to. His master still soundly asleep, her cloak and hat thrown on a hook to the side. That being said, even this was a little late for her to be sleeping still.

The floor was covered by a thick black carpet, bearing a large white magic circle, its design quite complex. It wasn't uncommon for magic-users to have this sort of thing made for rituals that needed to be routinely performed.

Towards the back of the room was a workbench stacked with tomes and scrolls. To the side was a collection of various cages holding many pigeons. They came in handy for various magical purposes.

Shuichi bent down and gently shook his master's shoulder, "Himiko… it's nearly noon", he said calmly. This was pretty normal for her. Groggily, she turned over.

Her eyes opened slightly, but couldn't seem to adjust to the light or focus on the figure in front of her. Her eyes closed once more as she fell back down to her pillow. "Nyaa… five more minutes…", she mumbled.

Shuichi gave a soft chuckle, "I'll give you ten. But if you're not up by then, I might actually be disappointed in you", he said. Himiko reached a hand out and lightly scratched his wolf ears.

"Nyaa… you're the best", she murmured, still half-asleep. The boy had a sheepish smile on his face as he turned to feed the pigeons.

As he did, he gazed down at the carpet with the magic circle, feeling a familiar yet strange emptiness in his chest. "Tonight… we should perform a transfer tonight", he said aloud.

The young mage's heart skipped a beat. But it couldn't be helped. That was part of possessing a familiar. The transference of mana. Regular exchange of mana from the Mage to the Familiar was essential to keep their connection strong. To keep the familiar bound to their master.

Most familiars were single use, or only required a very occasional supply of mana to function. But as in so many other ways, Shuichi was different.

A human familiar is extremely costly to the Mage it is bound to. Not only did they need to transfer mana on a near weekly basis, but the ritual was very taxing on the young mage's stamina.

This was in part, the reason Himiko had no other familiars under her command. The other part was… well, more personal.

Speaking of which, the transference ritual was… surprisingly intimate when performed with a human familiar. It was one of those things that always seemed more embarrassing before doing it than it actually was when it happened.

A few minutes later Himiko slowly sat up and stretched, yawning softly. Shuichi couldn't help but blush slightly. She really was like a small cat sometimes. Still in her pajamas, she reached for her cloak and wrapped it around herself loosely.

"If we have to perform the ritual tonight, we can forget about training. I need to conserve mana", she said, adjusting her newly mounted hat. Shuichi shrugged and nodded, though he wished she wasn't quite so enthusiastic about slacking off, she was ultimately right. Nothing to be done about it.

"You could atleast review the books", he suggested.

"Nyaa… when it comes to slacking off, you can't just half-ass it, Shuichi", she said dismissively.

"There's some irony there I'm not sure was intentional…", he commented, feeding the last of the pigeons. Just as he was about to reach for a drawer to put away the feed, the young mage stopped him.

"Wait, don't. You can just leave it out", she said.

Shuichi shrugged and left the feed on the desk. It wasn't anything worth questioning. He turned to face his master, "Well that aside, is there anything you'd like to do today?", he asked casually.

Himiko was about to answer when there was a sudden knocking sound from outside the bedroom. That was curious. Their domicile was tucked away from anywhere else of interest in the palace.

It wasn't somewhere you'd just stumble upon. And they didn't usually get visitors. Someone had specifically come to see them, for some purpose.

That was Shuichi's train of thought at that moment. "I'll get the door", he stated blankly, walking out into the main room. As he pulled open the door, it revealed two figures standing in the hall outside. One rather tell, the other less-so.

"Ah! Good morning, Shuichi!", an upbeat voice said.

"Yes! Hello!", a more resonant voice declared behind the first.

The Minstrel and Gardener of the Court were standing before him.

"Um, yeah. Good morning to you both", he said, somewhat unnerved. To most people around the palace, he was simply the familiar of a mage in training. Although he was on friendly terms with many of the Court Vassals, it wasn't often that they sought him out specifically.

His master being fairly low-key all things considered, it wasn't often he was greeted by such upbeat and forward personalities so early in the day. As such, there was an air of shyness about him.

"So, d-did you need something from us? We don't usually get visitors", Shuichi said aloud, wondering afterward if that was too demanding.

"Gonta was wondering if Shuichi has seen Edo", Gonta said bluntly.

"Edo?", he remarked in confusion.

"Edo is a stag beetle. Gonta's… pet, I guess? We've been looking for him", Kaede took over and explained.

"I can't say I have… although I haven't wandered very far lately", he admitted.

"Well, we were actually wondering if you could help us look for him. Word around the palace is, you're the person to see about missing things", Kaede said.

It was true that Shuichi had developed something of a reputation for solving little mysteries around the palace. A lost cat, some lost keys, tracking down overdue books and figuring out who really did take the last slice of pie. Things of that nature.

Well, it wasn't like he had much else to do today.

"Um… yeah, I guess I could help with that", he began sheepishly, "Why don't you come inside and tell me what happened?", he suggested, leading them inside the living space.

They took seats opposite him across a table and Gonta began to explain.

"Gonta went to water the gardens in the east wing a little after sunrise. And when he returned, Edo was not in his tank", he said.

"Tank?", Shuichi inquired.

"Yes! Gonta keeps Edo in a bug tank! It's a glass box with dirt, grass, rocks and sticks! Gonta keeps it by his window so the grass will grow!", he answered enthusiastically.

"Interesting, and how long would you say you were gone?", Shuichi asked.

"Uh… Gonta not sure… maybe half an hour", he answered, less enthusiastically.

Half an hour… a lot of things could've happened in that timeframe. That was Shuichi's train of thought at that moment.

"But Gonta keeps the tank locked. And Gonta had the key with him the whole time. That is what confuses Gonta the most", he continued.

"You keep it locked?", Shuichi inquired for clarification.

"Yes. The lid to the tank has two clasps. Gonta needs to unlock both to lift the lid", he answered, scratching his head and pulling a key from his pocket.

"Hm. I'll need to take a look at the tank itself", Shuichi said.

"Of course! Gonta will show you the way!", Gonta declared. It was then that the young mage entered the main living area from her bedroom, better dressed for the day.

"Shuichi… I was wondering- What's going on?", Himiko asked, looking perplexed at their company.

"Shuichi is helping us find Gonta's missing pet", Kaede said, giving the Mage a friendly smile. Himiko glanced aside… why did she have to do that.

"Nyaa… but our lazy day…", she whined, looking at her familiar with big guilt-tripping eyes.

"I mean… I'll stay if you really want", Shuichi said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Himiko shook her head, "No… it's... it's fine", she said. Shuichi could tell something was still bothering her.

"You don't have to come if you don't want", he told her. Himiko took a quick glance at the blond girl, who was eyeing _her_ familiar with some kind of friendly admiration.

Himiko pulled her hat down over her face. "No, I'll come with", she said with conviction.

"Well that settles it. Let's get going!", Kaede said, leading the boys out the door. Himiko followed behind, eyeing the girl suspiciously.

That… brazen minstrel had better not get too close to _her_ familiar… the young mage swore then and there she would not let that happen.

* * *

Gonta's room was dusty and antiquated, much like an old library. Also like a library were the large number of thick books lying around. Most were about plants and insects, but there were some novels about as well.

When the group arrived, they found Kokichi lounging casually on Gonta's bed as if he owned the place, reading a book that looked far more complicated than anything Gonta would own.

"I'm just gonna say this now" Kaede said aloud, staring at the nonchalant boy with a disapproving scowl, "I'm already pretty sure Kokichi is responsible", she finished.

Shuichi sighed. He didn't like jumping to conclusions, but it wasn't unusual for Kokichi to pull stunts like this. "We'll see", he said.

"Aw… that's no fair, Kaede. I've been a good boy today. Good enough for a pat and a treat, I'd say", Kokichi said, not taking his eyes off the book.

Shuichi's tail stiffened in embarrassment as he bit his lip. "A-Anyway… that's look around", he said, changing the subject. Gonta pointed forward.

"There is the tank", he stated.

Shuichi took a quick look at the glass box. It was large enough to take up the whole table across the window. In fact, it blocked the window from view entirely as if it were part of the wall.

Sure enough, the box contained plenty of dirt and twigs but no beetles whatsoever. Speaking of dirt, they couldn't help but notice that the glass walls hadn't been cleaned in awhile.

Sure enough, the lid was secured tight by two locks. Gonta showed off the key and explained it was the only one.

"So what do you think, Shuichi?", Kaede asked, poking her head around the corner of the box as he gazed in from the side.

"Hm… something's off here. Look closely at the front panel from the side", he said. Everyone huddled around the sides to gaze inside. The young mage attempted to slide in beside her familiar, but Gonta got there first.

That was fine. Probably.

"Ah! The front panel is… clean?" Kaede exclaimed. Shuichi nodded.

"From the front, it looks just as dirty, because the light reflects the dirt from the other sides", Shuichi explained.

"But how would someone clean the inside without opening the box?", Gonta asked, scratching his head.

"And why would they bother cleaning it in the first place?", Kaede pondered, crossing her arms.

Shuichi was about to respond when he heard a soft crunching noise beneath his feet as he stepped to the side. Kneeling down, he glanced under the table.

There was a bunch of broken glass tucked away underneath the table. It looked like one of the glass panels had broken but…

"Huh? But none of them are broken…", Himiko said, looking back at the tank.

"Maybe they broke one of the panels and then replaced it with another one?", Kaede suggested.

But Shuichi noticed something else under the table that made him doubt that.

"That's not a bad thought… but I think it's more like this", he said, grabbing the edge of the table and pulling it away from the wall.

Gonta gasped.

"So one of the was broken!" he proclaimed.

Moving the table revealed that the back panel of the tank was missing entirely. Or rather, it was now in a hundred pieces under the table.

"I think I get it now", Shuichi began, "They broke the front panel, took the bug out, swept the glass under the table, then turned the entire table around, pushing the tank against the window so it would appear as if all four sides were intact", he explained.

"Wow… how did you figure out they turned the table around?", Kaede asked excitedly.

"From the underside, I could see a drawer, and from my perspective, it was facing the wrong way", he answered.

Out of curiosity, Shuichi opened the drawer, only to find a single scrap of paper that read 'The Witch Did It".

Shuichi turned the paper towards the others. "Master… what's the meaning of this?", he asked sincerely.

Himiko took a step back and stammered, "W-Wha!? I d-didn't do it! Kokichi is just trying to frame me!".

Kokichi sighed and closed his book. "Please, if I wanted to frame you for something, I could do it with more finesse than this", he moaned.

"That being said, yes, I did leave the note", he added with a grin.

"So you knew who did it from the start?", Gonta asked, sounding disappointed.

"Yep!" Kokichi replied eagerly.

"B-But… you said you had no idea!", Gonta said.

"Ah… that was just a joke, Gonta", he said dismissively.

"Oh. Okay! It was all a joke! Haha!", Gonta stated happily.

"Why are we acting like this is decided!?" the young mage retorted.

"Kokichi… how exactly do you know she did it?", Shuichi asked directly. He didn't want to doubt his master without evidence.

"I saw her do it. She was up here this morning. I saw her come in this room after Gonta left. I didn't think much of it until I heard the glass break", Kokichi began explaining.

"I entered the room to see what happened, but she had already dove under the bed. I guess she heard me coming", he continued.

Glancing at her, he added, "I bet you thought I didn't notice you, but your pointy boots were poking out, dummy". She bit her lip, unamused. He chuckled.

"I left the door open and hopped on the bed myself, pretending not to notice the pile of broken glass under the table. She crawled out of the room while I was pretending to read", he went on.

"Sometime later, Gonta came back and pretended I didn't see anything. My little joke, heh", he finished.

"He's lying through his teeth Shuichi! There's no way I'd be up that early in the first place!", Himiko protested.

Kaede sighed, "She's almost proud of that…", she murmured.

"It's quite the account, but if it's only you, it's not really proof", Shuichi said, resting his fingers under his chin.

"See? That's my familiar! He'd never doubt me!", Himiko stated with confidence.

"That being said…", Shuichi said, "Something doesn't add up... ".

"Ah! Could it be something about a spare drawer?", Kokichi blurted out with a wide grin.

"S-Spare drawer?", Himiko stuttered, taking a step back.

"Yeah. I heard her mumble something about it from the doorway. I bet that's where she'd have hidden Gonta's bug!", Kokichi concluded.

"Edo is stuffed in a drawer!?", Gonta exclaimed in shock.

Shuichi looked at his master with disappointment. "Could it be… that drawer you didn't want me to open before?", he asked solemnly.

Himiko fidgeted about and pushed her index fingers together nervously before stammering out, "O-Okay… Yeah, it was me…".

"B-But why?", Kaede asked, surprised by the sudden confession.

"Do… you actually hate bugs that much!?", Gonta shouted, visibly upset.

"N-No! Nothing like that at all…", the young mage spat out defensively. Her eyes darted away from her confused and disappointed familiar.

"So why then? You're not the type of person to break other people's things…", Shuichi asked, feeling a bit disillusioned.

Himiko pulled her hat down over her face, embarrassed to say this in front of the others. "I… I wanted to give you a mystery to solve… since you like this sort of thing…", she admitted.

"Y-You never look happier than when you're puzzling something out… I g-guess I just wanted to give you that feeling today", she said, blushing slightly.

Shuichi sighed and bit his lip.

"Well… I guess I can appreciate your intent but…", he started before approaching her. He poked her hard in the forehead.

"But you shouldn't inconvenience other people like that", he warned.

"Nyaaa! I get it! I'm sorry!", she yelped as he held her off-balance.

"Now you should go give Edo back", Shuichi said sternly. The young mage complied, backing into the hallway… but there was a… sadness in her stride.

Once she was far enough away, Kokichi scoffed.

"Tch… That was heartless, Shuichi", he taunted. Shuichi turned his head to the boy on the bed, who was crossing his arms in disappointment.

"What do you mean?", he inquired directly.

"You failed our little game. I'm not terribly surprised, but I bet she's not taking it well", Kokichi said with a nonchalant yawn.

"Game? What game?, Kaede asked, confused.

"I guess I can tell you now that it's over…", Kokichi said with a heavy sigh. "Truth is, everything happened the opposite of what I said", he admitted.

"Wait… what?", Shuichi said, his mouth agape.

"I was the one who broke the glass and took the bug. And it was her who walked in on me", he confessed.

"Wait… so now it was Kokichi? Gonta doesn't get it…", Gonta said, clearly not getting it.

"But I gave her the bug and told her to hide it. We set up this little test you see, because I was curious…", Kokichi went on, his tone getting more dejected by the word.

"Curious about what?, Kaede asked.

"About his much he really trusts his master", he answered, pointing an accusatory finger at Shuichi.

"W-Wha…? Of course I trust her!", Shuichi retorted. How could he not? She saved his life all those years ago. And they'd been partners ever since.

"Yet you believed my story without much argument. Yeah, she played along with it, but I can't help but think you would've kept questioning us if you really trusted her", Kokichi explained.

Shuichi felt a pit form in his stomach. He had failed, both as an enthusiast detective and as her familiar… and that stung badly.

"D-Dammit… I just…", Shuichi stuttered, frozen in place… until someone gave him a shove.

"What are you waiting for? You can't just stand here knowing that!", Kaede said with a determined expression.

It was like her to push other people into action when they felt down.

"R-Right!", Shuichi declared, shaking himself out of it. He bolted out the door and ran as fast as he could down the hallway.

He couldn't accept this! He had to make things clear to her!

* * *

Shuichi nearly tripped over himself as he dashed through the halls of the palace. If there was one advantage his wolf-like body gave him, it was the ability to sprint like few humans could.

Why had he been so willing to accept her confession without hesitation? It wasn't because he wanted her to be guilty, that was for sure. But then, what was it?

It didn't take him long to reach their abode, but with the thoughts racing through his mind, it felt like it took far longer. He nearly fell over as he pushed the door open.

"M-Master!", he shouted as he burst into the main room. And there she was, in mid-step towards her own room, so startled by his sudden entrance that she tripped over backwards.

He dashed forward with the kind of speed only a wolf could muster and caught her in his arms.

"W-Whaat is it!?", she stuttered, fidgeting in his arms, still shocked to see him.

"Kokichi told me everything… he told me everything and…", Shuichi began, before clearing his throat. "L-Look, I'm sorry I thought it was you…", he admitted.

Himiko's eyes grew in surprise. She didn't expect the Jester to tell him everything so soon.

"B-But it wasn't like I wanted to think you would do something like that! I… I g-guess I was just touched by your reasons…", he stammered, unsure of what he was trying to say.

"I w-was disappointed t-that you'd break Gonta's things like that, sure but… I guess a p-part of me thought it was um… sweet of you to set up a mystery for me", Shuichi went on, rambling as he went.

Being direct like this was difficult.

"S-So… that's why I accepted your confession like I did… I'm sorry", he finished with a heavy sigh. Suddenly she reached up and scratched his wolf ear gently.

"Nyaa… You don't have to apologize. It wasn't fair of me to trick you like that…", she said with a warm smile.

"And besides… I did hide the bug. So I'm not completely innocent either. Weeding out the accomplice is pretty detective-like, right?", she reassured him.

He let out a small laugh at that and helped his master to her feet. He was glad she didn't think any less of him for failing the test.

They took the beetle from the spare drawer, who was unharmed, of course. Shuichi carried it in the insistence of his master, who was still grossed out by the first time she carried it.

When they returned to Gonta's room, they witnessed a very peculiar sight. Kaede was sitting on top of Kokichi, holding him down while Gonta held a large feather to his now bare feet.

"Apologize to Gonta!", she demanded, pushing his shoulders down.

"Aaaagh… you're so heavy! You should really watch those sweets ya know!", Kokichi taunted as he wriggled around, trying to break free.

"T-There's nothing wrong with me!", Kaede stammered, "I'm o-only 35kg!", she insisted, becoming flustered.

"That's an obvious lie!", he screamed as Gonta started tickling his feet with the feather.

"Aaah… haha… ahaha! S-Stop it G-Gonta! It was j-just a joooooke!", he bellowed, wriggling about even harder.

Gonta was about to continue, but stopped when he saw his beloved pet had returned. "Edo!", he cried, leaping over and snatching the beetle out of Shuichi's hands.

Gonta gently placed the bug back inside the glass tank and pushed it against the wall. "It is alright now. The window is just as good as a fourth wall for now", he declared happily.

And so it was.

Kaede eventually gave up trying to make Kokichi apologize and they both went their ways. She thanked Shuichi for his help before saying she had other things to take care of.

On their way back to their abode, Himiko let out a long yawn. "Well that's one way to start the day…", she mumbled with a tired expression.

Shuichi pondered this for a moment before commenting, "I guess the only mystery left is what you were doing up that early…". He smirked with satisfaction.

Himiko was taken aback, "Aaah… you remembered that… well, you know, a mage must have their secrets…", she said, trying to avoid the subject.

"You know, I think I saw a tome on your desk that wasn't there before… could it be you were off studying in secret?", he suggested.

Himiko stopped in her tracks. "Nyaa! You're mistaken, Shuichi! It's n-not like that!", she snapped.

"Is my lazy master working hard behind my back? That's not fair, you know, I'd like to see this effort too", he went on, trying to incite some guilt in her.

"Nyaa! You're wrong, Shuichi! You're an awful detective with lousy deductions! I-I'm the laziest mage there is! In f-fact, I'm gonna take a nap right now!", she said, dashing off.

He followed her with ease, "You sure you're not just trying to hide that book?", he asked jovially.

"Nyaa! I'm telling you it's not like that!", she cried as she tried to keep ahead of him.

Really, just an ordinary morning to an ordinary day… or so they thought.

 **END OF CHAPTER TWO**


	3. Ultimatum

**(A/N: Things are gonna start picking up. Remember to leave feedback if you enjoy the fic.)**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Ultimatum**

Deep in the sewers of the capital city, there lay a lowly den of thieves and outcasts. Frequented by the downtrodden and criminal alike. They had managed to stay hidden away from prying eyes for many years. Naturally they took their security very seriously.

It wasn't unusual that an intruder had been caught sneaking into the criminal hive. That sort of thing occasionally occurred and was quickly… dealt with. One way or another.

But this intruder was… different. A strange young man with snow white hair and pale skin, wearing simple black tunic and cloth pants. He was abnormally clean for having traversed this far into the sewer system.

But even more than that, what was most strange was…

"Um, excuse me, gentlemen? Would you be so kind as to explain where you're taking me? I was sent by my creator with a very important assignment", he told the guards carrying him in a very calm voice… as he was stuffed into a large sack.

Yes, what was most strange was his almost eccentric politeness.

"Waz this guy talkin' bout? Creata, wadn't it?", one gruff guard asked his compatriot.

"Ye, 'hat's odd and all, but not 'our concern. Let's just get'em to the boss", the other guard, equally gruff, replied.

They carried the captive in a sack from one end of the criminal hive to the other, occasionally letting it drag on the ground. They headed for what looked to be the nicest shack in town.

Once there, they gave the door an elaborate and rhythmic knock before being allowed entry by several more gruff-looking guards. At this point, they simply dragged the sack across the polished floor without a care.

"Boss?", one of them called out.

The man in the sack couldn't see anything through his cloth confines, but assumed they had arrived at their destination.

The sounds of cards being shuffled and flipped could be heard softly echoing throughout what sounded like a spacious chamber.

"Eh? What is it this time?, a deep and sullen voice replied. The mere cadence implied a rough life and vast experience.

"Sorry to interrupt, boss. But we caught another intruder", one of the gruffians answered.

Ah, 'gruffian' is a portmanteau of 'gruff' and 'ruffian'. Patent pending.

The deep voice let out a sigh. "If it's another stray cat, just take it to the surface and set it free", he said dismissively, placing a card on a table.

"It ain't no cat, boss. Tis a man, but not like one I ever seen", the other gruffian stated. The boss seemed intrigued, so he slapped his cards on the table and turned in his seat to face them.

"Right then, let's see this man", he said.

The gruffian guards roughly flipped the sack upside down and dumped the contents onto the wooden floor. A man fell out with a thud and a groan.

Bringing himself to his knees, the man surveyed his new environment. He was in a candlelit chamber, filled with crates and barrels. In the center was a large round table where half a dozen men sat playing cards.

Directly before him was the unexpected source of the deep and imposing voice. A stout man in tight leather armor. His expression, unreadable.

"Stranger, do you know who I am?", this man asked, his face unmoving.

The white-haired man nodded, "Of course. You are Ryouma, the King of Thieves", he said with just the right amount of reverence.

The Thief-King's expression did not change.

"If you know who I am, then you know where you are… so the only question is… why have you come here?", Ryouma inquired. His tone was not angry or impatient, or even curious.

"My name is Kiibo. Forgive my strange appearance, I am a Homunculus. An artificial human, conjured by-", he explained before one of the guards gave him a sour look.

"Answer the man's question", he said, cracking his knuckles.

"Right, of course. My apologies", Kiibo said with a nervous gulp, "I have come here on behalf on my creator, who desires the services of the Thieves Guild", he explained calmly.

Ryouma leaned forward, "Your... creator should know that we don't accept just any contract", he said simply.

"About that…", one of the guards said, "When we caught'im, he was carryin' this", they finished, pulling a heavy sack from their coat and tossing it in front of the boss.

The distinctive rattle of shuffling coins was unmistakable. For the first time in the conversation, Ryouma had the tiniest hint of a smirk.

"Well then… tell me, stranger… who exactly are we stealing from?", Ryouma asked, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

Kiibo stated blankly, "Saishuu Palace".

* * *

Every now and again, it happened. Himiko thought she could enjoy a quiet, lazy day when _he_ had to show up at their doorstep and insist himself onto them.

"Nishishi… That inflicts 3 damage to your frozen archer, Shuichi", Kokichi's nefarious voice called out.

"Yeah, yeah", Shuichi said, mentally tracking that information as he shuffled his hand casually.

Kwynt. The strategic battle card game of choice in the Kingdom of Saishuu. Especially so in the royal palace. When not needed, vassals had a lot of time on their hands, after all. Basically everyone played on some level.

Shuichi and Kokichi were often seen as the best players in the palace. As such, Kokichi barging in on them and demanding matches wasn't uncommon.

It hardly mattered the time or place. The dining hall, the library, the magical practice chambers, their own home… and if Shuichi was to believed, he was once ambushed in the bathroom of all places.

Himiko would often play with her familiar on a day like this as well… but of course Kokichi had to show up now. He agreed she could play the winner but…

A match between Shuichi and Kokichi usually took quite awhile.

In the meantime, Himiko kept herself occupied with some light studying. Just a quick review of some magical history. She often found herself subconsciously returning to the pages describing her favorite historical figure and idol, Gundam the Dark Lord of Gehenna.

He lived over a century ago and had a long accomplished history of magical feats. In particular, he was known for his skill in taming various demonic beasts.

She even had a painting of him in her bedroom. A brooding piece of the great Gundam standing atop a lonely cliff, beside his hell-hound familiars. The sky twisting in the night behind him. Whenever she felt unmotivated, it rarely failed to inspire her.

But who she was studying now, she was not so fond of. A vicious and wicked sorceress that lived around the same time. She was more known for her horrific magical experiments and ravenous armies of the undead.

History had not been kind to this relentless warlord. But Himiko's reason for disliking her was more personal.

It was because of her that there exists a taboo of mages falling in love with their familiars. She had various rituals designed to increase her own power by utilizing the affections of her familiars, who were not always the most willing participants.

It was so stupid, Himiko thought. That the magical community would look down on the potential of blooming love because one villainous mage used it for power.

It was for the familiar's own good, they said. The relationship between a mage and familiar is not a balanced one. It is always a matter of master and servant. To be truly equal partners was impossible, they had concluded on their own.

The young mage glanced at her own familiar… she wasn't taking advantage of him. He was happy to be here, happy to be her partner… right? That's what he always said.

But the fact remained that he was bound to her, by her will. By her decision on that day so long ago. His life revolved around hers, thanks to her own actions. But still…

They were master and servant. That was the reality. Could you really be equal partners with someone who forced you into that role? Himiko desperately wanted to believe it was possible.

It was a strange complex of guilt. Though she had saved his life, she had inadvertently robbed him off any other life he could've had. If she could've told him his future on that day… would he have wanted it?

These feelings were not at all helped by the presence of this ridiculous taboo. She cursed the wicked sorceress. Curse you, M-

"Master? Is something wrong? You've been clenching that book rather tight", Shuichi said with concern, noticing her annoyed expression.

She tried to pass it off. "Aha… you know me and studying, we just don't mix, haa…", she said nonchalantly, not even convincing herself.

The look on his face told her that he wasn't buying that. Kokichi picked up on this almost immediately. "Ah, that's a doubtful look. I sure hope my little game earlier hasn't soured your close bond. I'd feel just awful were that the case", he said with a sneer as he played a card.

Shuichi sighed. The Jester was particularly difficult to deal with today. "I only doubt out of concern, you know. If it's important, she'll tell me soon enough, right?", Shuichi asked with an expectant look in her direction.

"Of course", she said blankly. But of course she wouldn't. She couldn't confide in him about this. And that only made her feel more guilty.

"Well that's good to hear", Kokichi said with a smile that seemed too rehearsed. The game continued silently for some time after. Until Kokichi suddenly turned back to the young mage.

"By the way, I've been wondering… what that is, over there?", he asked genuinely, pointing to the far corner of the room.

Himiko turned her attention over to what appeared to be nothing of interest when suddenly, Kokichi snatched the book out of her hands and hopped out of seat and across the room.

Himiko was so startled she didn't even react until he spoke again. "Oooh. Yeah I see what's going on here now", he taunted, stroking his chin as if he had just solved a puzzle.

Himiko grabbed her staff and pointed it right at him. "D-Don't say a word! And give t-that back!", she demanded. Shuichi stared agape at his master… there was more fire in her eyes now than he had ever seen.

Kokichi chuckled. "Relax", he said smoothly as he casually tossed the book back at her, "I was just curious was all". She caught it and clutched it against her chest.

"Hey", Shuichi said in a stern tone, before dropping his shoulders and declaring calmly, "Your game is with me". The Jester grinned and hopped back in his seat.

"So it is", he said to himself.

But the game would have to wait. All of a sudden, the door to their home swung open. Revealing an unnerved looking Gonta.

"Emergency meeting! Gonta was told to inform all Court Vassals! Come to the meeting hall as soon as you can!", Gonta announced in a booming voice before rushing off as fast as he had came.

Shuichi placed his hand on the table and rose to his feet. "Let's go then", he said, making his way to the door.

"I'll catch up, let me just put these away", Himiko said, as she grabbed a pile of books. Shuichi nodded and ran off after Gonta, leaving through young mage and jester alone.

"Well, I really should-", Kokichi began, taking a single step forward, before the young mage grabbed his sleeve.

He had to laugh, "Come on, is this really the time?", he said.

"Don't tell him", she said, her tone uncharacteristically low.

"Hm? Tell who what? Whatever could you mean?", Kokichi taunted. She grabbed his wrist and gripped it as hard as she could, which as you might imagine, wasn't very hard.

"You know", he said, twirling a strand of hair with his free hand, "If you don't want me to say anything, you could always just tell him yourself".

"You know I can't…", she said somberly, get expression grim.

"Hm... for a time, watching you fidget and blush around him was entertaining, but now it's getting a little sad how much you want to bottle it all up", Kokichi said, his usual impish grin turning into a displeased frown.

"The magistrate can't find out…", she told him, "they would separate us and-", she said before he cut her off.

"The magistrate isn't going away", he stated plainly, "and neither are those feelings of yours. Sooner or later, something has to give", he said ominously.

She didn't have a response to that.

"You weren't supposed to know… nobody was…", she nearly whispered, cursing herself.

"But I do", he said sternly, "Tell him tonight, during your ritual".

Her eyes widened, "How did you kn-", she began.

"Oh please… You wouldn't be this jittery about it if it wasn't today", he answered dismissively.

"I think he'd much rather hear it from you, than me", he finished, pulling his arm away.

She just stood there, defeated in the face of his implied ultimatum. "Your jokes are too cruel…", she spat out.

Kokichi only chuckled as he walked away. "Call it whatever you want", he chided.

She waited until he was truly gone and shake her head and regain her composure. She didn't have the luxury of moping now. The Queen had summoned them.

* * *

The meeting hall was a long somewhat plain table in an old-fashioned wooden room. Stacks of papers shoved to the side, various maps on the walls. The lighting was dimmed and the atmosphere generally serious.

As the vassals filled in, a group of older civil servants walked out. As most of the vassals were teenagers, the officials didn't take their word as seriously, and thus the two parties didn't meet together often.

It was them who would make larger decisions about the country as a whole. The vassals' concern with with the palace itself.

As soon as Shuichi entered the room, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. He looked up to see the smiling face of a dear friend.

"Shuichi! Long time, no see!", declared Kaito, one of the Knight-Captains of the realm and the official Court Astrographer.

"Heh, y-yeah it has been awhile", Shuichi stammered out, still taken aback.

"You've been missing training, buddy. What's been keeping you?", he asked jovially, practically carrying the stunned familiar to his seat.

At present, there were four seats on either side of the table. Normally, the Queen at at the end of the table, but for her personal vassals she liked to sit among them.

The seat farthest to the left on the far side was reserved for her. Tsumugi, the Court Tailor was seated to the right of her majesty. Kaede next to her and Gonta after that.

At present, nobody else had arrived. Kaito took his seat adjacent from the Queen's and Shuichi had the spot next to him. His master would sit beside him on the right and after that was Kokichi.

"Well you know, it's evaluation season for mages. I've been busy helping Master with that", he said, feeling a bit guilty. He hadn't actually seen his friend in weeks because of it.

"Right, right. I wouldn't know much about that, not that I'd want to either", Kaito said somewhat nervously. He'd never been very comfortable around magic.

"At any rate, it's kept me busy", Shuichi said, dismissing the subject.

"Huh. You call her 'master' and shit, but you two are actually pretty close, ain't you? What's the need for formalities among friends, huh?", Kaito raved.

Shuichi scratched his neck anxiously. "Well, it's just what's expected of me, I suppose. I'm n-not as formal in private, if that helps", he said, feeling a bit embarrassed. He hadn't really talked about it before.

"Yeah, I've been training nothing but shitty recruits lately. It's been dull as hell. But you seemed to have gotten soft these past few weeks", Kaito went on, lightly hitting Shuichi in the arm.

He recoiled in pain a tad. That did hurt and he was definitely losing strength from all the lounging around and study. Perhaps he should resume training once the evaluations were finished.

Kaito was one of the first people to take notice of Shuichi after he and his master had first arrived at the palace. Kaito was only a squire then. At first he only picked on Shuichi for being a wuss.

But one night Shuichi caught Kaito sneaking away to the roof of one of the watchtowers. There, he found the rowdy squire actually charting out the stars. Kaito admitted his dream of one day exploring the cosmos, and threatened to punch him off the tower of he laughed.

But Shuichi didn't laugh. He thought it was a cool dream. From then on, the two would meet up on that tower. Shuichi would read him books on various subjects and help him track star patterns. In return, Kaito began teaching him how to fight.

Kaito still wasn't ask that great at his general studies and Shuichi still wasn't much of a fighter… like at all.

But on and off, they had kept that up until this day.

While the two of them were talking, they hadn't even noticed the Court Tailor had taken her seat on the other side of the table. Tsumugi was like that… Quiet, always off in the background, or her own little world.

She had the Queen's ear, but not many others.

Gonta had found and brought Kaede in and the Queen herself entered not too long after, thus their side of the table was filled. Shuichi looked to the empty seats beside him. What was taking them so long?

"Shuichi, should you not have come with your mage?", the Queen asked, her head titled slightly.

"Ah, she'll be along soon, your highness. She just needed to finish cleaning something", he said in her defense. In retrospect, it wasn't a great excuse for being late to an audience with the Queen.

The Queen chuckled lightly. Shuichi had nearly forgotten she was actually quite fond of cleaning and often refused her handmaidens to touch her room without her.

It was then that Kokichi casually hopped through the back door, arms behind his head. "Hey, where is-", Shuichi began to ask before hearing the rapid patter of footsteps beyond the door.

The young mage dashed in the room with such haste that she managed to trip over her own cloak and fall flat on the floor. Shuichi dove past the cackling Kokichi and offered a hand to his master.

"Here, take my hand", he said, hoisting her up to her feet and brushing any possible dust off her shoulders "I know you were late, but you should be more careful", he finished in a gentle tone.

Himiko nodded, but didn't look him in the eye. Her whole being was embarrassed, not just from tripping over herself in front of the Queen, but because Shuichi had just pampered her again.

And she wanted that, of course. But for the first time, she was becoming more aware of how their relationship looked to other people. If Kokichi could see it so easily, how long before the Magistrate noticed on their own?

Shuichi led her to her seat beside him and she hung her head. "My apologies, Queen. For being late and… for being clumsy", she muttered.

The Queen sighed and put on a faint smile, "It's alright. Now that everyone is here, we can… begin", she said, her tone turning rather solemn near the end.

"This is a rather serious matter", she began, "But mostly a warning to be on guard". Her eyes glanced around the room.

"On guard for what?", Gonta asked simply.

"There have been reports of a hooded figure wandering the rooftops at night. Several guards account being knocked out for hours at a time while on patrol", she answered.

"Someone dangerous is scouting the palace. We don't know why, but I felt it important to warn all of you. The guards have been placed on high alert. More watchtowers are active, and nobody is being allowed entry to to the palace at night", she finished with a stern tone.

"I did… feel a presence last night as I walked to the library… but I didn't see anything", Shuichi admitted.

"Do we have any description of this person? Other than hooded?", Kaede inquired nervously.

"Unfortunately not", the Queen replied, "Nobody has gotten a close look at them".

"Eh, could this be related to the increased Thieves Guild activity in the city? Maybe they're planning to rob the palace", Kaito suggested.

"I don't know… I don't think they'd risk us noticing them scouting around for multiple nights. I think whoever it is has been doing something around the palace", Shuichi.

"We've searched around, but found nothing out of the ordinary", the Queen stated.

"This is just me throwing stuff out there. And no need to take it seriously, I'm only a jester afterall…", Kokichi began with a smirk.

"But I think we might be dealing with something worse than a regular thief", he declared.

"What the hell makes you so sure?", Kaito blurted out.

"They've only been knocking guards unconscious, which tells me they're cautious and well-equipped. They've been staking out several nights which tells me they haven't found an opportunity to do whatever they want to do", Kokichi laid out his reasoning.

"If I had to guess, this may be some kind of assailant", he concluded.

"W-What? T-Then that would mean they're after the Q-Queen!", Kaede stuttered, her voice shaky.

"We are… well aware of that possibility", the Queen stated blankly, looking down. "In any case, I only wanted to keep you all informed. And remind you to be extra careful", she finished.

Soon enough, the meeting was dismissed and everyone went their separate ways once more.

* * *

It was night.

The moon was full.

They were alone.

It was time to perform the ritual.

The darkened bedroom was lit only by the candles in the far corners. They sat together on the black carpet, the one that had the complex magic circle printed onto it.

They were waiting. Waiting for the light of the full moon to cross through their window and shine upon the circle. It wasn't strictly necessary, but for a wolf familiar, it strengthened the effect of the ritual immensely.

Himiko sat, cross-legged and concentrated. Her aura filled the entire room and then some. Shuichi could see the magical energies swirling so swiftly around her. It was entrancing.

This was why she was taken in by the Magistrate. She may not be the most diligent student, but her mana capacity was enormous. It rivaled the archmage himself in terms of raw potency and quantity.

They had told them that this was a rare gift. That every so often a child would be born with intense magical potential. And with her being an orphan, there was no way to be sure where it all came from.

Truthfully, Shuichi was in awe when he saw her like this. It was so easy to forget that the lazy girl who would sleep until the afternoon if you let her and could never remember where she'd misplaced her tomes… was actually an incredible individual.

The moonlight shone into the room and the circle beneath them lit itself in a dim glow. "Master, it's time", he said calmly.

She opened her eyes slowly as he laid down before her. And all of the anxiety she had been suppressing came back up again. "Shuichi… you c-can call me by name… n-now of all times", she said, crawling towards him.

"R-Right… Sorry, H-Himiko", he stammered, his brow sweating slightly.

She crawled up and sat on his stomach, holding her hands together. She mumbled something long and untranslatable from an ancient text.

"Venyr ashra jae, kutoi pan'dasal ykwrynt haomuuh toras baquil ono vasutuch mei'xio giou…", she went on.

Shuichi undid the buttons on his shirt to expose his chest, where a black symbol lie. A swirling vortex and in the center… a blood red gem imbedded in his chest. This was the receptacle for his master's mana.

She gently placed both hands on this spot and began to pour her mana into him, like hot tea from kettle to cup. And much like hot tea, you didn't want to pour it too hastily. Lest you get burned.

She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, trying very hard not to think about anything. Her troubled emotions would only disrupt the process.

She could feel his chest rising and falling with his calm breaths… he must be doing the same.

"Himiko… do you know what this feels like?", Shuichi asked plainly, his tone relaxed and smooth.

"I wouldn't know… you've never really talked about it", she answered honestly.

"It's amazing… it's like being in a hot spring bath, but dry and I dunno… lighter", he explained, his whole body entering a relaxed state.

"That does sound nice…", she said softly, wishing she too could be that relaxed.

"But it's more than even that… because this is your energy, Himiko. My mind is… overflowing with good memories of you…", he said peacefully.

That was to be expected. Part of the ritual's purpose is to strengthen the bond between master and familiar, after all.

He giggled to himself.

"W-What?", she asked nervously.

"It's nothing, I just remembered something cute", he said absentmindedly. Her heart skipped a beat and there was a sudden surge of mana.

"E-Easy…", he said, placing a hand on hers.

"S-Sorry…", she muttered.

There was a moment of silence before Shuichi spoke up again, "You're going to be an amazing mage one day", he said with a kind of firm confidence.

Himiko sighed, "You keep telling me that… everyone does", she said.

"Just the fact that I'm even here right now proves it. Nobody on the Magistrate Council could maintain a human familiar so easily at your age. And you've been doing it for years now", he explained.

"No… it was a fluke… I didn't even know what I was doing then", she said, gritting her teeth.

Her mana began to flare once again.

"H-Hey!", he shouted.

"A-And I still worry about m-messing it up… because if I screw up, y-you'll… you'll d-disappear and I… I…", she rambled on, her heart rate spiking.

There was a huge torrent of mana forcing its way into Shuichi all at once. He could feel his chest straining to accept it all. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly.

"C-Careful! Slow down! I'm fine, just please-", he shouted out in concern.

But she wasn't listening to him. She could only hear her own mind telling her all her worst fears. But...

Shuichi never resented being forced into subservience. He always helped her reach her goals. He was kind and patient even when he had every right to be annoyed with her.

She'd never had anyone like that before him. The way he looked after her… in her mind, that was a role only Shuichi could fill. And she didn't want to lose that. No matter what, she didn't want to lose that.

His life, his existence was bound to hers. If he was wrong… if the council was wrong… if she really was a failure of a mage that just did it all by accident…

If she slipped up, he could be gone forever. And she would be all alone again…

She felt a pair of warm hands clasp the sides of her face and pull them down. She opened her eyes to see Shuichi staring at her intently. "I have enough! You can stop now!", he declared as a matter of fact.

And she did without thinking. Her aura receded and she fell into his arms, her hat rolling off across the floor. A gust of wind blew through the room, and the candles' flames whipped away. Leaving them in near darkness.

The gem in his chest had a strong and stable soft glow. The ritual was complete.

He hesitated for only a second out of surprise before hugging his master tight. "I'm not going anywhere", he told her calmly.

She pressed her face against his chest, not caring what it meant. "Y-You better not…", she did, still trying to sound cool.

The ritual had left her exhausted. She couldn't move if she wanted to. But she didn't want to. She was exactly where she wanted to be.

Shuichi patted her back gently. It didn't go as smoothly as it usually did, but he was still proud of her.

"Remember yesterday… you asked me if I was happy?", he said, his voice sounding a little tired too.

She nodded, and he could feel like against his chest.

"W-Well… I'm never happier than when I'm with you", he said, holding her tighter. Himiko's face turned so red it almost illuminated the room.

This was it. The best chance she'd ever have to tell him. No… she didn't have the energy for that conversation. There was only one thing she could do.

It was a pain, but she slowly pulled herself up towards his face. He looked stunned, "H-Hey, you should save your strength…", he stammered, his own cheeks blushing.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer. She only managed to give him the lightest kiss before slipping back and falling asleep.

Shuichi was left stunned in the dark, his master asleep on top of him. But after the shock wore off, he smiled softly and laid his head down, dozing off to sleep as well. He didn't yet know what to think, so he decided for the time being, not to.

That's right. He wasn't going anywhere…

...Right?

 **END OF CHAPTER THREE**


	4. Gone Without A Trace

**(A/N: So, a couple of things to note before the real story begins. First of all, a certain plot point from the end of Chapter 2 (of the actual game) is hinted at here and confirmed next chapter, so just, quick spoiler alert for that. And secondly, I'm introducing Angie in this chapter and YES, I am using Atua, her God's dub name. My reasoning for this is a little different than you might think though. This story takes place in a fantasy world, and as anyone who's ever been in a D &D campaign knows, most fantasy worlds have a LOT of different deities available for worship. Angie just referring to her God as "God", as if it were the only one, doesn't really mesh with the setting that well. In this story, moreso than in canon, it makes more sense for Angie to worship a specific God. If the dub didn't conveniently already provide a name for her God, I likely would've made one up anyway. Thanks for your understanding.)**

 **Chapter Four**

 **Gone Without A Trace**

Himiko stirred awake slowly, dragging her head up from her pillow. She rubbed her eyes, stretched out her arms and yawned as if it were any other morning.

It didn't take her long to notice some very odd and troubling things however.

She felt around the bed, almost in disbelief that it existed. "Nyaa? I don't remember falling asleep here…", she told herself, getting up out of bed and onto the…

That's right, she fell asleep on the carpet… on top of…

She suddenly got extremely embarrassed by the thought and covered her face in her hands. D-Did she really do that last night?

She shook her head. She could worry about that later… something was wrong here. The light coming in from the window was a pale white… it was early morning. Far earlier than she normally awoke.

She must have slept pretty soundly, because for being awake this early, she felt pretty good and alert. But that was the best that could be said.

Shuichi must have carried her to bed. It wasn't that unusual, she had fallen asleep in stranger places only to wake up in the comfort of her home. But something wasn't right.

She opened the door between her bedroom and the main living space of their domicile. The room looked just as it always had except…

Shuichi was nowhere to be seen.

As she crept through the living room as if she was trespassing in her own home, she approached the door to Shuichi's own bedroom. Maybe was still sleeping, she thought.

She knocked on the door.

No answer.

She knocked again.

No answer.

She started to worry and pulled open the door to reveal…

Nobody.

The bedroom looked normal and untouched but its owner was not present.

That was extremely weird… Thinking back, she couldn't remember a morning she didn't wake up to seeing him. She started to panic and rolled down her sleeve to look at her forearm.

On it was a magical marking. A complex symbol that was just as vibrant as the day it was made. The day she saved his life and made him her familiar.

It was physical evidence of their pact. And to her immense relief, it was still intact.

If he had died, the mark would've faded and eventually disappeared entirely. So he was still alive… but where was he?

She dressed herself and went out into the palace halls to look for him. If she concentrated, she could usually sense him off he was nearby. But today, she sensed nothing. And that deeply troubled her.

The sky was overcast and white. It was not bright nor were any shadows cast. A day without light or darkness. The calm morning mist flowing about from the windows.

She ran all around, but it seemed as though nobody else was even awake yet. She had never been this active after waking up, but she didn't even think about that. She had to know.

She had to know where her closest friend had gone.

Finally, she saw someone. Kokichi, the Court Jester, was sitting on a bench, overlooking the city below. On any other occasion, she wouldn't have given him a second glance this early in the morning but…

But as she approached, she slowed down to a walk. Something was wrong here too. Kokichi had his head down, hands clasped together… he looked absolutely downtrodden. And that was highly disturbing.

When she got close enough, she noticed that he… had tears rolling down his face.

This image was so far from the impish jester she knew, her brain couldn't accept it. Before she could say anything to him, she heard the patter of footsteps in the distance, towards the courtyard. She ran off, only looking back at the crying jester for a moment.

In the courtyard, she saw a dozen knights standing around, discussing things in hushed whispers. Some were kneeling down and gazing around, as if looking for something. Her eyes darted around, looking for anyone she recognized. And it didn't take long.

Her eyes fell on the Knight-Captain, who was sitting on the ground, his back pressed up against the base of a statue. It looked like he was receiving medical attention from another knight. Without thinking, she ran to him desperately.

Kaito, who was staring down at an arm being bandaged, looked up at her with stone cold eyes. He said nothing, only gesturing in the direction of the central statue of the old King, before his gaze fell to the ground.

Himiko turned around and slowly walked towards the central statue. There were a pair of knights there, tending to what looked like a body on a stretcher. There was a white sheet covering most of it, so she couldn't see until she got even closer.

It wasn't what she feared, it wasn't what she expected. But that didn't make it much better.

A face that had once been so full of life now appeared vacant and expressionless… her blond hair swaying slightly in the breeze. Kaede, the Court Minstrel… was dead before her very eyes.

The young mage tripped and fell back on the ground in disbelief. It had been a very long time she had seen a corpse in front of her… not since the orphanage fire all those years ago. That same feeling of dread immediately took over. It was a feeling you could never really forget.

She couldn't form words, though plenty came to mind. She felt like crying, or throwing up or just… something, anything. She had a sudden pain in her stomach.

She had been jealous of the minstrel on occasion, and often mentally complained about her being 'too perfect', but she never ever wanted anything like this to happen.

Himiko regretted ever having those feelings. It gave her an immense sense of guilt.

One of the council mages stopped the knights from carrying her off. They instructed them to bring the body to the incantation chamber instead.

"The body yet lives, if only barely. But her soul has been siphoned away. The magistrate will perform a spell to preserve the body's condition for now", they said.

Her soul had been siphoned? That was better than dying, but only just. Soul Harvesting was a forbidden black magic. Whoever did it must have intention of using it and when they did…

Kaede would be truly dead.

It was then that Kaito approached the young mage, his injuries bandaged. He limped with great discomfort as his sullen face drew near.

"I'm sorry… they got him", he said, gritting his teeth.

Himiko stood up and stared blankly.

"W-What are you talking about?", she asked, her tone shaken.

"The assailants… they took Shuichi! I don't know why and I don't know where but… but he's gone", he explained, clenching his fist in frustration.

Without thinking, Himiko tried to rush towards the exit gate but Kaito grabbed her shoulder.

"Stop! They could be miles away by now! You can't just go running off!", he shouted.

She bit her lip. She didn't want to admit it but he was right. She couldn't just go run off without a plan. She barely even understood what happened.

A knight came up behind them and announced, "We've awakened the Queen and explained the situation as best we could. She's calling an emergency meeting. Everyone who's able must come at once".

Himiko darted off in the direction of the meeting chamber. She needed to find out everything she could.

* * *

The meeting table was filled with the usual vassals… of course, not everyone was present. Kaede's body was taken into the depths of the palace and Shuichi was who knows where.

Even Kokichi was gone, evidently he told the knights he was in no condition to attend. Himiko had to admit that surprised her.

The empty seats were taken instead by members of the magistrate council.

One of them spoke, "This was a clear soul-siphoning incident. No doubt committed by a powerful rogue magic-user", he said plainly.

"We have to assume their target was the Queen. Why would they go to such lengths to siphon the soul of a Minstrel?", another said, stroking his impressive beard.

"And what of the kidnapped familiar?", a slightly younger council member brought up. The senior mages glanced in Himiko's direction. Normally this attention might embarrass her, but she was too focused to have that sort of reaction.

She rolled up her sleeve and showed off the intact marking. "Wherever he is, he's still alive", she said.

"Are they attempting to use the familiar as a hostage?", one of mages asked aloud.

"A mere familiar as a hostage? For what gain?", another said, their time dismissive.

Himiko bit her lip. She wanted to speak but knew her place. But as it turned out, someone else didn't.

"Shuichi is not a _mere_ familiar!", Kaito shouted, slamming his fist on the table. It looked like that aggravated his injuries. He growled in pain.

Gonta, who had been silently clenching his fists and grimacing, spoke up as well, "That's right! Shuichi is a good friend to all of us! We must rescue him!".

Himiko's heart leapt, this was the topic she wanted to get on.

"Knight-Captain", the Queen said with an understanding but resolute expression, "Let's start with what happened last night", she said.

Kaito cleared his throat.

"I don't know when it happened exactly. I got a report that several guards had been knocked out. I went to investigate with a couple of the other guys", he began.

"There were six or seven intruders that made their way to the courtyard. I heard a scream in that direction and headed there right away. I… guess Shuichi heard it too", he went on.

"I saw a flash of light, and then Kaede fell to the fuckin' ground… I thought they killed her so I charged in with the others…", he continued.

"One of the intruders took us all on. I couldn't believe it but they wiped the goddamn floor with us. She's the one that knocked me around like this", he admitted, teeth clenched.

"She?", the Queen commented.

"Yeah… I could tell it was a chick by the shape and movement. She was cloaked all over, though her hair was stupid long", Kaito clarified.

"A single girl took out several palace knights at once?", one of the mages spouted in disbelief.

"You don't think I feel enough fuckin' shame!?", Kaito snapped back, clutching his chest. The mage swallowed hard and backed off the subject.

"Anyway… that was when Shuichi showed up. I told him to run away and get help, but one of the intruders got to him first. They blew some powder in his face and knocked him out", Kaito explained.

"I tried to go after them, but that girl kicked me down. She damn near cracked my ribs, I could hardly fuckin' move… I had to watch as they carried him away", he finished.

"Wait, they just left?", one of the mages said in surprise.

"If I may…", a quiet voice perked up. The voice of Tsumugi, the Court Tailor, who usually remained distant and quiet during these meetings.

"They probably thought they attracted too much attention, so they retreated", she pointed out.

"Unless they got what they came for", said a voice from the doorway. To everyone's surprise, Kokichi stood there, his expression blank.

"A soul is a powerful currency in black magic, right?", he said.

"That's correct… but why come all this way? If they just needed a soul, they could get one from anywhere. Why target anyone in a heavily guarded palace?", one of the senior mages asked.

"The only thing that makes sense to me is that they're antagonizing the palace. They wanted to send a message", he answered.

"Then the Queen could be in serious danger!", Tsumugi said in a frightened tone.

"Yes… we must uncover who is behind this tragedy. And what they're planning to do next", the Queen said. She seemed deeply concerned but kept it beneath the surface.

"But who should investigate? We need to stay here to maintain the minstrel's body. And to protect your highness", the bearded mage said.

There was only a brief moment of silence before the youngest mage shattered it.

"I'm going to find Shuichi, no matter what", she declared with the kind of conviction rarely seen in her.

Everyone was too shocked to respond, so she continued, gazing down at her marking, the proof of her pact. "The mana I transferred to him last night… he'll need another transfer in a week's time… or else…", she said… but didn't dare finish.

He would vanish. Forever.

"Likewise, a week is probably the longest we can preserve the minstrel's lifeless body before it begins to deteriorate", a mage added.

"This is crazy! She's still in training! This mission is too important to place in the hands of-", the sternest of the mages began.

But the Queen held up her hand, commanding silence. "No. I trust her. She has more resolve to do this than anyone else", she proclaimed.

Nobody argued. That was the Queen's word. And Himiko felt an immense appreciation for her ruler.

"Gonta will help! Just tell him what to do!", Gonta shouted enthusiastically. Himiko smiled at the big lug. His muscle would certainly come in handy.

"I'd love to go with you, kid. But with these injuries, I'd only slow you down", Kaito said, giving her a pat on the back.

"We need you here regardless. The palace guard must be on high alert, and for that, they will need their Captain", the Queen said, placing a hand on Kaito's shoulder. She could tell how much he wanted to go.

"I wouldn't be any use in a fight or adventure. So I'll just investigate around the city", Kokichi said, walking off to WI knows where.

"We will research our magical libraries, try to guess what they could be trying to use that soul for", a senior mage said. The Queen nodded.

"Then our path is clear. You and Gonta must head out. Form a party if you must, to find out who we're dealing with. Recover Kaede's soul… and find Shuichi", she told Himiko directly.

Himiko nodded. She had never felt so driven before. About anything. But she would find her partner, no matter what.

To do that, she'd have to recruit allies and search for any information they could get their hands on. And she knew just where to start.

It was time to visit an old friend.

* * *

She hadn't left the palace in quite some time. The reasoning for that was twofold. The first was that it was a hassle the lazy mage didn't volunteer for often.

The second was to avoid… _her_.

That's why Himiko was nervously observing her surroundings as she hid behind Gonta's huge frame. She desperately wanted to avoid any contact with… her.

"Gonta doesn't understand why you're acting so scared. The attackers are long gone", he told her as he tried not to bump into the passing civilians.

"Nyaa… it's not them I'm worried about…", she replied, jerking her head back to check behind her. No sign of that woman… good.

"Ah, here's the Tavern!", Gonta declared as they approached a lively pub. Outside was a large bulletin board with many various signs and notices.

Himiko pulled a roll of paper out of her cloak and pinned it to the board in a noticeable spot. It was an advert for assistance in reclaiming lost… property.

She would've argued the point, but the council already made it by the time she was ready to leave.

Anyone interested was to meet them inside that night. Until then, they had someone else to recruit just down the road.

As they walked, Gonta scratched his head and asked, "Gonta forgets… Where are we going again?".

"The Church of Atua. I know one of the priestesses there. She has a command of healing magic… among other things", Himiko answered honestly.

"Ah… what are these other things?", Gonta inquired cautiously.

"Eh… You'll see", she said vaguely, nervously twiddling her thumbs.

They soon happened upon a magnificent shimmering white cathedral. With tall marble pillars and elegant stained glass windows. People poured in and out of the building in droves and doves perched themselves atop the bell towers.

"Wow… Gonta is impressed! The Church of Atua is incredible!", he said, awestruck.

Himiko sighed, "No, that's not it", she said, pointing instead to a rundown looking shack across the street, "That's the Church of Atua".

Gonta looked back and forth between the diametrically opposed buildings in confusion. "Are you quite sure?", he asked.

Himiko nodded sadly and knocked on the shabby wooden door. There was no response. She knocked again, harder.

Then she heard a small cough to the side by a damaged window with a board half-covering it. Her attention was directed towards a small, rusty box labeled 'Donations'.

Himiko sighed, pinched her temple and took out a coin from her pocket, tossing in the box. Suddenly the door swung open and a pair of arms wrapped themselves around the young mage.

"Ah! Himiko! Welcome! Welcome! This priestess of Atua welcomes you with open arms!", the tan-skinned hugger said almost melodically.

"Aah… Angie… It's n-nice to see you t-two", the young mage said, struggling to reach over to the donation box slyly.

But Angie saw through it and gently grabbed both of her hands and held them together in a friendly greeting.

"It has been such a long time since you visited Atua's home. Ah! Where is Shuichi? I thought you were inseparable", she commented, blinking in confusion.

Himiko looked down to the ground. "He's missing…", she admitted.

Angie frowned and crossed her arms disappointingly. "Aw… that's too bad. I was really hoping I could get his blood this time…", she said, her tone high but sympathetic.

Angie saw Himiko's downtrodden expression and clapped her hands cheerfully, "Ah, why don't you two come inside, yes?", she said, leading them into the ramshack.

There were a few wooden benches in desperate need of new finish lined up before a small stage and makeshift altar. Angie sat them at a bench and took a seat in front of them.

"Now then, confess all your troubles to me, earnest mage", Angie said warmly, holding out her arms in the light.

Through a somber tone, Himiko explained the situation to her old friend. Repeating it all back out loud only made her depressed. But it had to be done.

"I see, I see… Well it is true that Atua's grace can heal physical wounds…", Angie muttered after listening intently.

"I don't know where else to go for this sort of thing…. Eh… I'm begging you, Angie", the young mage said desperately, holding her hands together.

Angie looked around her empty church and grinned mischievously. "Ah, well I think Atua and I can lend you a hand, Himiko. Of course, a generous donation will be required!", she said, her tone chipper.

"Nyaa! Anything!", she replied in an instant.

"I would like a small vial of Shuichi's blood when we find him! Just a few drops, I promise!", Angie demanded with a glazed look in her eyes.

Himiko retracted her begging hands. Was she really comfortable promising Shuichi's blood like that?

No. That wasn't… something an equal partner would do. But how else would she convince Angie?

Himiko's eyes darted around the desolated center of worship, her gaze finally landing on an elaborate painting to the back wall.

She pounded a fist into her free hand with a smirk. "I think I can do you one better, Angie", she said tauntingly.

Angie snapped out of her blood-craze and leaned in excitedly. "Oh, what could it be?", she asked with enthusiasm.

"I can arrange an exclusive art expose for your church at the palace! You can spread the word of Atua to thousands at once!", Himiko blurted out.

She had no idea if she was capable of arranging that. But if the quest was successful, she would beg before the Queen herself if she had to.

Angie's eyes lit up like shooting stars as she leapt in the air with glee. "Wow! That would be most excellent! Atua approves! Atua is most impressed by Himiko's devotion!", she shouted.

Himiko fidgeted nervously, "It's n-not devotion…", she stammered out. Not to Atua, at any rate.

"Gonta feels a lot safer with a healer in the party!", Gonta exclaimed, giving Angie a light high-five as she extended her hand out.

"Thanks, Angie. This means a lot to me", Himiko said, her eyes still staring downward.

Angie clapped her hands against Himiko's cheeks and forced their eyes to meet. Himiko was taken aback by the forcefulness.

"Do not worry about a thing! With Atua on our side, we'll find Shuichi in no time!", she reassured her.

"Eh? Is t-that so…", was all the young mage could muster to say in response. It had been awhile since they'd seen eachother, so she had forgotten how cheerful Angie was.

"We should wait at the Tavern! Maybe some brave adventurer has noticed our flyer!", Gonta reminded them.

Himiko nodded. Once they had a party set, they could start tracking down leads. That was something Kokichi was probably handling, one way or another.

As they walked back towards the Tavern, Himiko stared at her marking. Wherever he was, she hoped that Shuichi was safe. They'd find him, no matter what.

 **END OF CHAPTER FOUR**


	5. Stolen Away

**(A/N:** **Sorry I've been gone awhile. I was busy with college work and then busy playing the actual game. But I should be back on track for the most part now**.)

 **Chapter Five**

 **Stolen Away**

A shrill cry rang in Shuichi's ears, forcing him awake in the dead of night. He was about to sit up when he remembered his circumstances. His master lay on top of him, breathing peacefully in her slumber.

It was probably his more attune wolf ears that allowed him to hear the cry when she could not. It wouldn't do to ignore it, so he was very careful with his next movements.

He gently lifted her up and moved over to her bed, where he laid her softly and pulled the covers over her warm frame. Whatever her kiss meant… that could wait until later.

He silently exited the room with only a single longing glance at his master. He would be right back. He just needed to check things out.

He left their abode and ran through the halls toward the courtyard, the source of the desperate cry. When he saw an unfamiliar figure in the mist ahead, he ducked behind a stone ledge and merely peeked over the edge.

There were two figures. One he recognized, and he didn't.

Kaede was there standing before a lone hooded figure, there was no mistaking that golden hair. The distance and darkness made it difficult to make out the other figure, but the shape was definitely feminine.

His sensitive wolven ears could pick up their conversation, even his far off position.

"You don't have to do this", Kaede said sternly, her voice both strong and weak.

The other figure hesitated.

"You know that I do", a clearly female voice said.

"We talked about this, didn't we? They only have as much power over you as you let them have", Kaede reasoned, her tone fearful.

"The Order… is absolute", the other reasoned simply.

"...So that's how it is", Kaede said, disappointed.

"You should know, I only approached you directly because the contract demanded it", the figure said.

"Wait, so this isn't about the Queen?", Kaede said in surprise.

"Not yet. Tonight is about you, as well as one other", the figure answered.

Kaede backed away in terror. But there was a shout in the distance as she did. "Hey! I don't know who you are but get away from her now!", a rowdy voice called out. It was the voice of the Knight-Captain, approaching the scene with several other knights at his call.

"K-Kaito! Wait! You don't understand!", Kaede shot back, turning her back to the mysterious figure.

"Who is this? We've gotten reports of unconscious guards all over the palace", Kaito explained.

"T-This is…", Kaede tried to begin to answer, but words failed her. There is no salvaging this situation peacefully. Not after what would happen next.

The figure drew a pair of blades and rushed to the men approaching the scene. It was a flurry of skilful parries and takedown the likes of which Shuichi had never seen before.

And in only an instant, the knights were beaten and writhing on the ground. Kaito rushed at the girl with a calculated strike, but she nearly effortlessly knocked the sword out of hands and pivoted around to deliver a bone-shattering kick to his stomach.

He flew back into a wall and coughed up some blood. "Weak", she said simply.

"-The fuck you say?", Kaito said, more growl than coherent words.

Shuichi couldn't stand watching this scene play out, but knew it'd be foolish to rush in.

Another figure approached the courtyard from the stairs on the far side, one dressed in black robes. His pale skin and snow white hair stood out in the darkness of night.

"We need to finish this soon. The Master is waiting", he said calmly, taking out a strange gemstone and holding it out in front of a scared and defenseless Kaede. As soon as the figure's aura manifested, Shuichi panicked.

It was unmistakable. Black magic.

He leapt over the ledge towards her, his mind blanking out. With his speed, maybe he could-

That was as far as his train of thought got before he fell to the ground with a hard thud. He turned over to see a stout-looking hooded man grimacing at him. He had evidently tripped him.

"Looks like our mark has found his way to us", he said in a surprisingly deep tone.

Shuichi tried to get back on his feet, but the man kicked his gut and held him down with disproportionate strength. "Just shut up and watch the show, wolfboy", he said condescendingly.

Shuichi reached out his arm, as if that would do anything. As he watched the white-haired figure siphon Kaede's very soul out of her body and into the glowing gemstone. When it was finished, her body fell to the ground, emptied of life.

"Shuichi! Get out of there! Go find help! Tell the Que-", Kaito shouted, but the hooded girl simply jammed her foot in his chest to silence him.

The stout man pulled out a small satchel and said with a dull snicker, "Only place he's going is with us" as he sprinkled a small amount of grey dust in Shuichi's face. After that, Shuichi could feel his energy draining away and his consciousness fading fast.

His confused and panicked mind knew peace as he fell asleep once more.

* * *

Shuichi groaned as his head rocked back and forth, his body limp across a wooden floor. He felt weak, and his wrists were bound. He opened his eyes to a figure sitting in front of him, swaying from side to side in the pale moonlight.

"Ah. You're awake. I hope you're not too badly hurt", the figure spoke in a surprisingly friendly tone. Shuichi forced himself to sit up straight, which proved difficult once he realized he was inside a moving cart.

"W-Where…", he began.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, nor where we're going", the figure spoke, as if predicting his thoughts.

"Then… who", Shuichi said.

"My creator calls me Kiibo. If you'd like, you can too", the figure answered politely.

"R-Right…", Shuichi said, looking around. They were in a wooden carriage, the only door stood to the side between them, small windows on both sides above. There were a few crates and other miscellaneous items on the floor.

Kiibo was sitting on one such crate.

"If you think you'll get some kind of ransom, you should reconsider", Shuichi told the cloaked man.

"We didn't do this for money. I wouldn't have need of it anyway", Kiibo explained, as if clearing up a simple misconception. Shuichi raised an eyebrow.

"Then why me? Why am I here?", he asked.

"I was told you were necessary… it wasn't my place to ask why", Kiibo answered, his expression solemn for only but a moment.

"Who is your creator?", Shuichi asked intuitively.

"You'll see when we arrive. I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to answer these types of questions", Kiibo said plainly.

"I need to go back to the palace", Shuichi said, knowing it was probably futile.

"That's not possible", Kiibo said blankly.

Shuichi was fast on his feet. He knew he could get away if he saw an opportunity to flee. But he feared that chance might come too late.

"You don't look human", Shuichi told the pale man.

"I am not. I'm a Homunculus, an artificial lifeform. I'm not the first of my kind, but by far the most successful, so my master says", he explained.

Creating homunculi was forbidden by the Magistrate for a variety of ethical concerns. This tenant had been in place for centuries. Knowledge of the process is incredibly scarce.

His master must be a powerful sorcerer of some kind. This was all the more reason Shuichi had to escape.

"You're rather forthcoming with information… for a kidnapper", he observed.

"I gain nothing by being rude to you. Truthfully that's all it is", Kiibo declared as a matter of fact.

Shuichi went silent for a moment before gritting his teeth. "And Kaede? Why did you take her soul?", he asked, his tone more aggressive.

"That was… also necessary", was the homunculi's brief reply.

"Necessary for what? Only the most depraved rituals would require something as pure and volatile as a human soul", Shuichi stated with conviction.

Kiibo didn't answer. He closed his eyes and sat across from his captive calmly. Shuichi's head hung low. He put on a brave front, but the truth was, he was worried out of his mind.

He was scared about where he was being taken, and for what purpose. But beyond that… he was worried about his master. He cursed himself for leaving her side like he did.

He hoped whatever danger was coming for the kingdom wouldn't be coming for her. He knew she'd try something… but she had a habit to getting into trouble when he wasn't around.

' _Please don't do anything rash, Himiko… I'll find a way back to you before you get into too much strife…_ ', he thought to himself as he continued to wait for his opportunity.

* * *

The Tavern was rather quiet at this time of day, a fact that pleased the young mage immensely. She wasn't good with large crowds.

What did not please her so much was the establishment's… rather peculiar menu. The items listed had such… obscene and vulgar names that she would've died of embarrassment saying them out loud.

And by the occasional glance of tortured anticipation from the busty barmaid behind the counter, Himiko could tell that was exactly what someone was waiting for.

"Gonta is rather thirsty… but these names don't look very appetizing at all", Gonta commented, scratching his head. Of that, they were all in agreement. They weren't sure what a _sparkling cum-guzzler supreme_ was, but they knew they didn't want one.

"Yes, excuse me. I'll have the _Pisschoker Tea_ , thanks", said a voice from right next to Gonta, who nearly leapt up in surprise. Himiko had to blink at the new figure sitting across from her. She didn't even see them approach.

It was a young man with a handsome face. His expression was relaxed and casual, like he had been there for hours. His finger twirled around a strand of his lime green hair.

"It must be a miracle! This man appeared out of nowhere!", Angie exclaimed excitedly.

"Nah, not at all. You guys just aren't on the right level yet. It's just a matter of experience", the figure said without judgement.

He wore light armor over an oversized shirt. His arms, draped in long sleeves were folded behind his head casually. He pulled out a rolled up piece of paper from his pocket and tossed it on the table.

"You're recruiting, so it seems. For some kind of rescue?", he asked in a smooth tone.

"T-That's right", Himiko said, somewhat intimidated by the figure.

"Ah, no need to be so tense. My name is Rantarou, you may have heard tell of my adventures?", he said, introducing himself with a friendly nod.

There was no mistaking a name like that.

"You're Rantarou!? Y-You're famous! The greatest adventurer of our age they sa-", Himiko exclaimed, but Rantarou held a finger to get lips to silence her.

"Woah, easy there kid. No need to attract unnecessary attention", he warned with a disapproving look, his eyes darting around as if checking for potential ambush.

"O-Oh… sorry", she apologized, still taken aback by the sudden appearance of a famous adventurer.

"Forgive Gonta, but Gonta is unfamiliar with this Rantarou person… Gonta doesn't the news much", Gonta said, embarrassed slightly by his ignorance in this subject.

Angie popped up excitedly, her eyes widening. "They say he defeated a Medusa with 30 heads!", she cried.

"Thirty-three and a half", he corrected.

"They say he's rescued more princesses than there are kingdoms", Himiko muttered.

"Ah, I get a lot of repeat business", he shrugged.

"They say he's got enough treasure to build a hundred cathedrals!", Angie said with reverence.

"That's… an oddly specific measure of wealth", Rantarou mused.

"They say his sword is made from a Steelborn Dragon's fang… that it's unbreakable by any manmade blade", Himiko stammered, getting weirdly excited.

Rantarou smirked and unsheathed his armament from his hip, laying it on the table for the group to see.

The sword shimmered in the rays of light pouring in from the loosely swaying curtains. It was sleek and tapered perfectly. In its hilt was a burning crimson gemstone that caught the young mage's eye.

"T-That's an Eye of Amorys! This blade in imbued with fire magic!", she said with emphasis, her hands hovering over the rare artifact like she was internally debating whether or not to run off with it.

Rantarou quickly pulled the sword ban to its holster. "Of course, you should understand my services don't come cheap. But as this is evidently an official job from the royal palace… I wouldn't imagine that would be a problem", he explained.

Himiko pushed her fingers together nervously and slid back in her seat, her enthusiasm dampened. "S-So… how much gold are we talking?", she asked in a depressed tone.

Rantarou's expression turned serious.

"I don't want gold. I have more than enough of that. The luster of coin doesn't fulfill me anymore", he stated firmly.

"Huh? Then… what do you want?", Himiko asked, perking up in genuine confusion.

"I'll help you recover what you've lost… but in return, you must give me a treasure I've never had before", he answered, staring right into her eyes.

"A treasure… you've never had before", Himiko repeated to herself under her breath. That was so vague, yet instantly daunting. But help from such a great adventurer was difficult to pass up.

"Ooh! I know!", Angie exclaimed, reaching into her robe and pulling out a thin badge.

"I wouldn't normally do this, but if it's for Himiko's sake, I will make you a silver-tier member of the Church of Atua!", she said happily, holding out the badge in Rantarou's face.

He pushed it back gently. "Ah, no. It's gotta be something _I_ consider a treasure", he clarified.

"And if I can't find you a treasure like that? Then what?", Himiko asked.

"That would depend on what you sign off as collateral…", he answered, his expression difficult to read. Right, that's how these sorts of contracts usually worked.

"And just so we're clear, you can only sign off something you're actually capable of giving me. So you can't just bet the whole country or whatever", he explained.

Himiko thought long and hard. But they only thing she had that might be if any value of someone like him was…

She sighed and pulled a small wand from a holster on her waist. Infusing it with her mana, it grew into a full-sized staff. A long black stave with shining sky blue crystals on both pointed ends.

"Would you accept this?", she asked nervously. She didn't even want to think about losing her magical instrument… but if it was for Shuichi…

Rantarou took the staff from her hands and looked it over, carefully appraising it.

"This is a relatively new magical staff… not some relic. Probably made by the palace magistrate, if I had to guess. But still, the craftsmanship is very nice… getting ahold of anything this efficient is difficult outside of established circles…", he mumbled to himself as he ran his fingers about every inch of it.

"Yeah… this would do nicely", he said as he handed it back to the young mage who gripped it tighter than necessary.

"Why don't you tell me more about this quest? The notice said something about recovering lost property?", Rantarou asked aloud. Everyone went a little stiff at the phrasing.

Rantarou sighed. "Judging by that reaction, I'm gonna guess that's not entirely accurate, is it?", he followed up, scratching the back of his head blankly.

"Shuichi is not property. That's what Gonta thinks anyway", Gonta said with nervous conviction.

"Shuichi is my fa-... my friend. He was taken from the palace by a group of criminals. We don't know who they are or what they want with him…", Himiko explained clearly.

"They must be a dangerous sort", Rantarou commented, fingers stroking his chin.

"That's what we think, yeah", she replied.

"And who is this Shuichi person? What value would he hold as a hostage?", he asked poignantly. Himiko gritted her teeth. She was trying not to answer that.

"T-That's what we can't figure out… he's a Court Vassal, like us. He's something of a detective, you could say", she told him. There weren't any lies in that statement.

"Was he investigating any criminal activity?", he asked.

"N-No… he doesn't really do stuff like that. Not yet… he mostly solves problems around the palace", she answered. Again, all the truth.

"I see… how puzzling", was all Rantarou had to say. It was all there was to say. The situation truly was a mystery.

The table was silent for a moment.

"This person, are they important to you?", Rantarou asked, staring directly into the young mage's eyes. But it felt different this time. It wasn't a gaze of suspicion or confusion… it was more humble than that.

Pulling her hat over her face, she answered, "Y-Yeah…". Rantarou smiled as if he was remembering something really happy.

"Well, then if my conditions are fine with you, I'd like to offer my help", he said, extending a hand. With only the tiniest bit of hesitation at offering her precious staff as collateral, Himiko shook it. And a contract was formed.

It was at that moment, the bitter-looking barmaid walked over to the table. "Alright fuckboy, I've got your dri-", she was about finish that unnecessarily rude statement when she noticed something peculiar out the window to the side.

At first it was only a faint buzz, but it grew into a panicked shout as suddenly the window shattered all across the table and a woman flew through the air, a kick poised to take off Rantarou's head.

He nonchalantly ducked his head and the woman soared over him with a baffled look on her face as her foot collided with the barmaid's gut, sending them both spiraling across the floor and crashing into the bar.

This caused the barmaid to let go of the tray she was carrying, and an iron tankard filled with questionable yellow liquid spun around in the air before dropping straight onto Rantarou's head.

He fell sideways out of his seat and tumbled onto the floor, blood leaking from the top of his head. Gonta stood up immediately, knocking over several things as he shouted "Aaah! Rantarou! H-He's…!".

The great adventurer lie still on the Tavern floor… dead.

"Wait! It is not too late!", Angie perked up as she hopped over the table and knelt by Rantarou's side.

...Or maybe not.

She held out a hand in front of Rantarou, and held the other by her chest and began to chant, "Oooh, great and powerful Atua… though this man may be a godless heathen, won't you please use your divine strength to restore him to health?".

A calm light emitted from her palm and engulfed Rantarou's body, and slowly his injury was undone. A moment later he carefully rose up, holding his head with a groan.

"Ugh… woah, I did not think that would happen to me today…", he mumbled groggily, clutching his head in pain.

"Ah, by his divine grace, you're alive!", Angie exclaimed with a smile, clapping her hands together with pride. Then she extended an open hand to Rantarou, "That will be five gael, please!", she said with an even bigger smile.

Rantarou rolled his eyes as he reached into a pocket, "What a… generous deity", he muttered.

"Aw, look at what you made me do! You made me attack a fellow female!", shouted the random flying girl from across the room, now brushing dust off her light blue gi. Her long twisted braids seemingly snapped into position with her as she struck a fighting stance.

"Himiko! I cannot allow this menace to join your party!", she declared boisterously towards the young ma-

"Wait… where did she go?", the girl asked aloud, crossing her arms in confusion. Everyone, except the barmaid who was still riling on the ground, looked around anxiously. But the mage was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh. That's strange… Gonta swore she was here a second ago…", he said, scratching his head.

"Oh! Wait! She left a note!", Angie said, pointing to a slip of paper left lying on the table. She snatched it up and read it aloud.

"Went back to the palace. Meet me there later, do not bring Tenko with you. Sincerely, Himiko. That's what it says", Angie finished excitedly.

"Waah!", the girl who appeared to be Tenko cried in shock. She immediately bolted out of the Tavern shouting, "Waaaait! Himiko! If this is about the window, I'm sorry for startling youuuuuu!", as she ran.

Rantarou picked himself up off the floor and stood in the doorway. Angie and Gonta walked up behind him and watched the energetic girl sprint down the street and up the hill to the palace.

"Right… I suppose we should go then", Rantarou said, sighing deeply.

"But… what about her?", Gonta said with a tone full of concern as he glanced back at the unconscious barmaid.

"Trust me, big guy. It's best we're not here when she wakes up", Rantarou stated plainly as he walked out the door.

"Ah! Please! Wait for Gonta!", Gonta stammered as he followed suit. Angie trailed behind them, rubbing her newly acquired gold coins between her fingers with glee.

A very strange group was forming indeed.

 **END OF CHAPTER FIVE**


End file.
